Engagement Skills Trainer and Virtual Combat Convoy Trainer

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It costs a million dollars to equip this room as seen. The weapons are genuine M-4 rifles that have been modified with lasers that engage the screen, much like a Nintendo game system, only more expensive.



The engagement skills trainer simulates a myriad of warfighter scenarios while providing digital feedback as to the accuracy of shooting.


EST software control console manages the scenarios; it runs on a Window O/S.



This scenario depicts a rock quarry from which a platoon of bad guys attacks.


When the exercise is over, the scenario can be replayed and the EST displays where shots landed.



This is a shoot/don't shoot scenario, where a crowd is demonstrating and can turn violent or peaceful depending on the selection made the control console -- in this scenario two of the demonstrators pull out weapons and begin firing at the soldiers in their lanes. Later, a slow motion replay shows the soldiers where their rounds hit, who got who first and whether any civilians were hit.

This picture is blurred, but if you look closely two men have broken from the group in the earlier photo and are now brandishing weapons.

The Virtual Combat Convoy Trainer does pretty much the same thing as the EST, only for convoy training. This trainer is set in the back of tractor trailers. There are eight trailers all networked together.

One HUMVEE per trail or in a room about the size of you an average living room.



The civilian contractor running this trainer briefs troops before beginning the scenario.

This is the command console from which the scenario is managed -- also video cameras monitor soldiers reactions inside the vehicles.


The veiw from the passenger side (front) of a HUMVEE. The computer screen is the GPS-satelitte system called Blue Force Tracker, which automatically reports the vehicle location and allows an operator to view the entire battle space. For example, can toggle between grid-reference maps, satellite imagery and other views. I can also call for a MEDEVAC or for close air support using what is essentially satelitte text messaging.

Each screen is approximately 10 ft. by 10 ft. You can see three screens in this photo -- one complete screen and two partial screens.

 

The cities in this trainer replicate structures we'll likely see in our area of operation.

Bad guys can pop out of these buildings and take shots at a passing convoy.